Assault in Palm Beach County, Florida
417 cases (2025) · Palm Beach County courts
Updated September 2026 · 2025 data
In 2025, Palm Beach County employed diversion at notably higher rates than statewide. At 14.1% of assault cases, diversion was nearly triple the 5.1% statewide average, providing alternatives to formal adjudication for many defendants. The guilty rate was 63.5% with a 17.3% withheld rate—below the statewide withheld average of 22.2%—indicating most cases resolved through conviction or diversion rather than withheld adjudication. Dismissals occurred in just 1% of cases.
Sentencing was relatively light. The median was 60.5 days with an average of 416.5 days among confined defendants. Jail accounted for 50.4% of confinement, prison for 18.7%, suggesting less severe outcomes. Representation split between public defenders (65%) and private attorneys (32.4%), typical of a more diverse defendant population. The prevalence of diversion combined with lighter sentencing suggests a prosecution approach emphasizing alternatives to incarceration.
Citing these figures? Attribution line and monthly data pack.
Before Court: State Attorney Decisions
Not every Assault charge in Palm Beach County makes it in front of a judge. Of 888 prosecutor decisions on Assault charges (2023-2025), the State Attorney declined to file, dropped, or dismissed 16.1% — below the 47.7% statewide rate. These decisions happen early in a case, before trial.
Source: Florida Department of Law Enforcement, State Attorney case data (2023-2025). Rates are per charge, not per defendant — a dropped charge often reflects a plea agreement on another charge in the same case, not the case going away. Percentages are of charges receiving a prosecution decision; transfers between courts are excluded. Court outcome data on this page is a separate dataset covering cases that reached disposition. Statewide charging patterns: The Florida Prosecution Report.
Outcome Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Case outcomes (2025)
Largest outcomeGuilty — 63.5% of 417 cases.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 417 cases · 2025 — FloridaCourtFile.com
Sentencing Breakdown (2025)
Exhibit · Sentencing when convicted (2025)
Confinement-type detail below is computed across all available years (2023-2025).
| Confinement Type | Count | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|
| County Jail | 567 | 2.7 months |
| State Prison Facility | 197 | 3.7 years |
Convicted defendants' full sentencing detail — sentence ranges, fines, prison vs. probation odds: Assault sentencing in Palm Beach County.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the guilty rate for Assault in Palm Beach County?
The guilty rate is 63.5% based on 417 cases (2025).
How often is adjudication withheld for Assault in Palm Beach County?
Adjudication is withheld in 17.3% of cases (2025). This is a Florida-specific outcome where the court finds guilt but does not formally convict, allowing the defendant to avoid a conviction record under FL Statute 948.01.
What is the average sentence for Assault in Palm Beach County?
Among convictions that included confinement, the average sentence is 1 year, 2 months (2025).
What percentage use a public defender vs private attorney?
65.0% of defendants use a public defender, while 32.4% retain private counsel (2025).
Counsel Analysis (2025)
Demographics (2025)
Demographic data reflects systemic patterns in the criminal justice system and should not be used to draw conclusions about any racial or ethnic group. Disparities may reflect differences in policing, prosecution, and socioeconomic factors rather than actual crime rates.
| Race | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 233 | 62.7% | 0.9% |
| Black | 184 | 64.7% | 1.1% |
Age Distribution (2025)
Year-Over-Year Trends
Exhibit · Disposition trends
| Year | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate | Avg Sentence (confined) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 371 | 55.0% | 1.1% | 11.6 months |
| 2024 | 365 | 63.6% | 0.8% | 1 year, 3 months |
| 2025 | 417 | 63.5% | 1.0% | 1 year, 2 months |
Quarterly detail
Quarterly figures recompute from monthly disposition counts; quarters with fewer than 30 cases are suppressed.
Charge Level Breakdown
| Level | Degree | Cases |
|---|---|---|
| Felony | Third Degree | 521 |
| Misdemeanor | Second Degree | 448 |
| Misdemeanor | First Degree | 149 |
| Felony | Second Degree | 35 |
Related Charges in Palm Beach County
Rates shown are 2025 unless marked otherwise.
| Charge | Cases | Guilty Rate | Dismissal Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traffic Offense | 18,615 | 27.2% | 0.4% |
| Other | 5,545 | 11.7% | 0.4% |
| Drug Possession | 3,575 | 68.3% | 0.3% |
| Larceny / Theft | 3,172 | 64.3% | 0.5% |
| Battery | 2,688 | 45.3% | 0.5% |
| Trespassing | 2,272 | 69.6% | 1.2% |
| Resisting Officer | 2,093 | 62.0% | 0.5% |
| DUI | 1,692 | 95.6% | 0.3% |
Cite this page
FloridaCourtFile.com (2026). Assault in Palm Beach County, Florida (2025). Based on 417 public court records; last updated September 2026. https://www.floridacourtfile.com/charges/assault/palm-beach
About this data: Statistics are derived from FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency records for Palm Beach County. "Guilty" includes all cases where the defendant was found guilty. "Adjudication withheld" is a Florida-specific disposition where guilt is found but the court withholds formal adjudication under FL Statute 948.01. "Dismissed" includes all cases dismissed by the court or prosecution.
Source: FDLE Criminal Justice Data Transparency · 417 cases (2025) · Data last updated September 2026 — FloridaCourtFile.com